By Gordon Deegan
A southeast Clare farmer has told of his distress after discovering 14 of his sheep killed last year.
At Killaloe District Court, farmer, Martin Cooke said: “I wouldn’t wish it on anyone” after arriving on his land adjacent to a canal bank at Clonlara, where he couldn’t see any of his sheep but did see two dogs nearby on February 16, 2020.
He said that there were around 50 sheep in the flock and after searching, six or seven dead sheep had to be fished out of the canal.
He had earlier spotted two dead sheep floating down the river adjacent to his land-holding.
Distress after sheep killed
Cooke said that 13 sheep were found dead from the sheep kill, and another sheep had to be put down afterwards to bring the death toll to 14.
The farmer said that the sheep kill had cost him around €2,000.
In the case, Judge Mary Larkin found bachelor farmer, 72-year-old Raymond Crowe of Prospect House, Clonlara, guilty of not having a dog licence on February 16, 2020.
However, Judge Larkin dismissed the charge against Crowe being in charge of a dog that worried livestock on the same date.
Judge Larkin dismissed the charge after solicitor for Raymond Crowe, Stiofan Fitzpatrick, argued that the state case against his client didn’t reach the threshold of beyond reasonable doubt.
The solicitor stated that his client didn’t accept that his dogs were involved in the sheep kill.
Crowe surrendered three of his dogs to the Clare County Dog Warden, Frankie Coote, the day after the sheep kill and Crowe’s solicitor, said that he did this as he recognised he couldn’t manage five dogs.
The three dogs were put down and the court heard that Crowe has since got dog licences for his two remaining dogs.
Gardaí
Cooke phoned Gardaí with a description of the two dogs and Garda Cathal O’Gorman said that he found two dogs that matched the description of the dogs at the home of Raymond Crowe.
He said that each dog had a distinctive feature from the description provided.
Garda O’Gorman took photos of the two dogs and he showed the photos of the two dogs to Martin Cooke, and he agreed that they were the dogs that attacked his sheep.
Garda O’Gorman said that Crowe declined to make a formal statement to Gardai.
Under cross examination, Garda O’Gorman said that the two dogs had no trace of blood or wool.
Judge’s comments
Judge Larkin said that maybe Raymond Crowe shouldn’t have any dogs at all, if he can’t manage the dogs that are in his ownership.
In evidence, the dog warden described three of the dogs that were taken away as “feral”.
Judge Larkin ordered that a Probation Report be carried out on Crowe and adjourned the case to later in the year.
In evidence, Martin Cooke said that he believed that he saw the two dogs that attacked his sheep and gave chase.
He said that there were two black sheepdogs “and I followed the dogs on foot as best as I could, but I lost track of them” before returning to the scene of the sheep kill.
He said: “It is a big loss of sheep and no one has apologised.”